Oil-well plowing apparatus



Dec. 3l, 1929. E. A. wATTs OIL WELL FLWINGl APPARATUS Filed Juy 14b 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l HHH .350m ELMER 6.7 VArrs,

De@ 31, 1929. E. A. WATTS 1,741,489

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Dec. 3l, 1929. E. A. wATTs 1,741,489

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Patented Dec. .31, 1929 ELMER A. WATTS, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA OIL-WELL FLOWING APPARATUS Application filed. July 14,

My invention relates to valves.

It is the object of my invention to provide an automatic control valve for application to oil well flowing mechanisms to prevent the waste of air pressure through a well in which there may be insuflicient oil upon which the air can operate, thus allowing the air to pass through the well without doing any work and to waste.

My invention is particularly adaptable to situations Where a common source of air is employed for feeding a plurality of wells to cause them to flow. It is highly desirable under such circumstances that Wells which may not have suiiicient oil in them shall not have air flowing through them, thus wasting the air and robbing the other wells of air pressure which can be utilized to cause their oil to flow. Instead of air I of course may use gas or any other gaseous medium, and instead of oil I may use any iiuid such as water or the like, as well as oil.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a section through the valve mechanism showing the parts in position t0 permit the air to flow into the well to cause the oil to flow therefrom.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in closed position to cut off the air iiowing to the well in its main body when there is insuiiicient oil in the well.

Figure 3 is a similar view with the control valve open just prior to the opening of the main air valve.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is an inlet passageway to which air is delivered under pressure.

This air under pressure passes through the port 2, around the main valve 3, beneath the main valve as at 4, through the passageways 5 and into the well and through the passageway 6. A plurality of spaced arms 7 guide the head of the valve 3, while the collar 8 guides the valve by engagement with the cylindrical sleeve of the valve, designated 9.

This sleeve 9 of the valve 3 is connected by an annulus 10 to the main valve body 3. Within the sleeve 9 is formed a chambered or 1927. Serial N0. 205,762.

cup-shaped area 11, communication with which is eected from the main air supply by means of the passageway 12 communicating with the main air supply passageway 1. The

valve 3 is normally maintained in unseated condition by the spring 13, which rests within the valve 3 in cylindrical cutaway area 14, while the lower end of the spring is supported on the center of a spider 15.

The air is adapted to pass also around the narrow throat of the valve 3 and through a port 16 around a regulating valve member 17, into the passageway 18. This channel of communication for a small quantity of air is continuously open.

Returning to the chamber 11, it will be noted that in the chamber is located a stop 19 against which the valve 3 abuts. This stop is provided with a plurality of apertures 20 communicating with the chamber 11. Such apertures permit of the passage of air behind the control valve 21. This valve is so arranged that air may pass around the side thereof as at 22. The upper edge of the valve is adapted to seat against the shoulder 23 in order to shut on" the flow of air from the passageway 1, passageway 12, chamber 11, passageway 22, around the valve 21 into the passageway 24 and thence into the passageway 18 and out through the passageway 6. This valve 21 is normally held in open position by the adjustable spring 25, which is adjusted by the set screw 26. The stop 19 is held in definite position by being threaded to the skirt 27.

Method of operation Starting with the parts as shown in Figure 1, air will flow under pressure through the passageways 1, 2, 4, and 6 to the well. The air will further flowI through the passageways 18 and 24 to a point on top of the valve 21, while air will further iiow through the passageways 12, 11, 2O and 22 so that the pressure being equal the spring 25 will maintain the valve 21 in its open position. The valve 3 will be in its open position, due to this balance and due tothe fact that the spring 13 will maintain it normally in open position.

The passageway under the control valve 17 is open.

I/Vhen the oil in the well ceases to be of suiicient quantity to be flowed by the air pressure so that the air pressure will iow through the well without restriction and therefore with decreased back pressure in the passageway 6, then the pressure being greater in the chamber 11 than in the passageway 6 and the pressure behind the valve 21 being lessened because of the restricted passage 16, the valve 21 will be caused to shut by the pressure coming in through the opening 1 and the passage 12, and the valve 3 will be caused to shut by reason of the pressure confined in the chamber 11. This will continue until the pressure confined due to the constantly flowing air or small quantity under the valve 17, and the constantly increasing quantity of oil in the well builds up to a point sufficient to create a back pressure which will serve to act upon the upper surface of the valve 21 causing that valve to open.

When that valve opens the pressure behind the valve 3 in the chamber 11 will exhaust through the passageway 20, passageways 22 into the passageway 24 and having exhausted will permit the spring 13 to operate to open the valve 3 in order to put into communication passageway 6 with passageway 1 for the full and unrestricted flow of the complete pressure found in passageway 1.

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be clearly embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve for controlling said passageway, a by-pass passageway, means to admit a limited quantity ot' air through said by-pass passageway constantly, means to permit the passage of inlet air around said main valve when it is open, and a control valve for controlling said last-mentioned means.

2. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve controlling said passageway, a by-pass passageway communicating with opposite ends of said valve, means for admitting a constant supply of inlet air to said by-pass passageway, and supplementary valve means for controlling the passage of air around said main valve through said by-pass passageway.

3. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve controlling said passageway, a by-pass passageway communicating with opposite ends of said valve, normally open means for admitting a constant supply of inlet air to said by-pass passageway, supplementary valve means for controlling the passage ot air around said main valve through said by-pass passageway, and yielding means for maintaining said control means normally open in said by-pass passageway.

1. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve controlling said passageway, a by-pass passgeway communicating with opposite ends of said valve, means for admitting a constant supply of inlet air to said by-pass passageway, supplementary valve means for controlling the passage of air around said main valve through said by-pass passageway, yielding means for maintaining said control means normally open in said bypass passageway, and yielding means for normally maintaining said main valve open.

5. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve having a chambered head, a bypass passageway communicating with opposite ends of said valve, a control valve tor controlling the passage of inlet air from the chambered end of said main valve into the by-pass passageway, yielding means to maintain said control valve normally open, and yielding means adapted to maintain said main valve normally open.

6. In combination, an air passageway, a main valve having a chambered head, a bypass passageway communicating with opposite ends of said valve, a control valve 'or controlling the passage of inlet air from the chambered end of said main valve into the by-pass passageway, yielding means to maintain said control valve normally open, yielding means adapted to maintain said main valve normally open, and a restricted passageway communicating with the main air passageway and the chambered head of said main valve.

7. In combination, a main air passageway, a main valve for closing said main passageway, yielding means for maintaining said valve normally unseated, a chambered head on said valve, a restricted port between said chambered head and said main passageway, a by-pass passageway communicating with said chambered head and the opposite end of said valve, a control valve adapted to permit the passage of inlet air from said chambered head in the said by-pass passageway, yielding means to maintain said valve normally unseated, and means to permit a Constant flow of air into said main passageway.

8. In combination, an air passageway, a valve for controlling said passageway, means to guide said valve, means for yieldingly holding said valve normally open, an air chamber formed at one end of said valve, means communicating with said air chamber for supplying air to said air chamber behind the valve, a stop for said valve having ports therethrough, one end ot said ports communicating with said chamber, a by-pass passageway communicating with said ports at one end of said valve and with the other end of said valve, a control valve mounted in said by-pass passageway, yielding means for maintaining said control Valve normally open to permit the flow of air from the main passageway through the said chamber and around the control Valve and into the by-pass passageway, and means to permit a limited amount of air to enter said by-pass passageway continuously irrespective of the position of said Valves.

9. In combination, a Cylinder having a bypass passageway communicating with each end thereof, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, a port in each end of said cylinder, a Valve member carried on the head of said piston for controlling one of said ports, a chamber formed in said piston adjacent the other of said ports, a Valve member adapted to control the communication between said chamber and said by-pass passageway through the port in the end of the cylinder adjacent the chamber, a side port in said cylinder through which fluid pressure is supplied, and a restricted port in the side of said cylinder communicating with said by-pass passageway, and yielding means to normally maintain said piston and its Valve member in unseated position normally.

l0. In a methodofwcontrolliiig the application of air to an oil well, supplying a predetermined pressure of air to an oil well in a predetermined Volume, Vsupplying a supplementary amount ofy air in a materially less Volume, controlling the delivery of the main Volume of air according to the back pressure in said well by utilizing the lack of back pressure therein for cutting ott' the main supply of air to said well by means of said supplementary air and utilizing the increase of back pressure beyond a predetermined point due to the accumulation of fluid and said supplementary air for opening communi- 0 cation with the main air supply with said well.

In testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature.

ELMER A. WATTS. 

